Winifred Joyce “Winnie” Drinkwater (11 April 1913 – 6 October 1996) from Cardonald was an exceptional Scot, and in my view, something of an action hero, as she was the first woman in the world to hold a commercial pilots license. Drinkwater joined the Scottish Flying Club near Renfrew in June 1930 when she was just 17, and amazingly she…
Tag: Glasgow
Amazing what you find in the attic!
Hidden away in the upper section of Cottiers Theatre, sits a golden gilded (literally) gem of a restaurant. Named after the Glaswegian architect, William Leiper FRIBA RSA (1839-1916), the eatery not only is a feast for the eyes and belly but subtly celebrates Leiper’s relationship with the buildings name-sake Daniel Cottier (1838–1891). The new restaurant, which showcases…
Period Chats: Jenny Knotts
Jenny is a playwright and PhD student from Glasgow. She is currently undertaking an AHRC funded Practice-as-Research PhD in the department of Theatre Studies at the University of Glasgow titled Play/writing histories: Navigating the Personal, Public & Institutional stories of Theatre Space. An Architextual study of the Citizens Theatre. Previously she gained an MSc with…
Opening Doors – Glasgow’s Influential Women
We’re excited to announce that booking is now live for Glasgow Doors Open Day Festival! There are several great speakers this year from a range of backgrounds and organisations. And this year we will be taking part! Exciting, we know! We’ll be discussing HERstory: Glasgow’s Influential Women, on the 15th September at 6pm at St. Andrews…
Pollokshields Business Women – Maude Webster
Maude Caroline Murdoch Cochrane (1883-1959) was born in Glasgow’s Southside in 1883. Little is known about her life before her marriage to the renowned Scottish stained glass artist, Alfred Alexander Webster (1883-1915) including how the couple met. It is most likely that Maude and Alf may have known each other from the living in the…
The Gorbals Dressmaker
I’ve always been surrounded by raw materials (paper, wood, fabric, thread, buttons, glue and needles) but I’d never really thought about where I got my love of making things from until I started hanging out with my gran every Saturday, very much like we used to when I was wee. I’ve always been aware that…
The Strength of Female Networks
Last week we held an event (in conjunction with Glasgow School of Art & Tate Britain sub-group) run by an all female committee which focused on female networks in the creative industries and the strength which can be generated when we band together as researchers. Doing a PhD can be a very lonely experience and…
Female Networks Early Career Study Day – 29th June 2017
Listen up researchers – We have a great opportunity for Post-graduate and Early Career Researchers! Want to take part in an inter-disciplinary study day? Want to experience Academic Speed-dating for the first time? And meet some cool, like-minded people while doing it? We have the event for you! The History Girls, with a fantastic team…
Barrowland Ballroom
I love the Barrowlands. I mean I really, really bloody love the Barrowlands. It is the one place in Glasgow that truly feels like home; a place where everyone is equal and all there for the same reason. The Barras’ is ingrained in Glasgow’s cultural being and there isn’t many people who would have a…
Websters Theatre & Bistro
Nestled in the heart of Great Western Road sits a church. Many people walk past it, not noticing the hive of activity slowly breathing new life into the building. The building in question is Landsdowne Parish Church which was designed by Glaswegian architect John Honeyman in 1863, but now it has been lovingly transformed into the…
The Future of Holmwood House, a discussion day
Hidden on the Southside of Glasgow is a spectacular sight. Holmwood House is a pure wee gem of a building which is under-visited, under-appreciated and often forgotten by the everyday punter. Rachael and I were lucky enough to be invited to an informal discussion day where we chatted about how the National Trust for Scotland…
Forward! GWL March & Exhibition Launch
On a humid Saturday in Glasgow, we were treated to the spectacular sight of Peace Crusaders dressed all in white, sashed and beribboned, on the Green. We hadn’t accidentally gone back in time (thank god, we love having the vote and the internet too much), we had arrived at the meeting point for the…
History. Heritage. Hilarity. 